Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Buys 60,997 Shares of Masco Corporation $MAS

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 60,997 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,111,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Masco in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,278,943,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Masco during the 2nd quarter valued at $178,424,000. Amundi lifted its holdings in Masco by 17.5% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,152,818 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $129,977,000 after buying an additional 320,230 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 8.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,961,592 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $118,421,000 after buying an additional 158,231 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in shares of Masco during the second quarter valued at approximately $149,673,000. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on MAS shares. Zacks Research lowered shares of Masco from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Masco from $79.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Masco in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Masco from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $81.82.

Insider Buying and Selling at Masco

In related news, VP Kenneth Cole sold 34,470 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.64, for a total value of $2,779,660.80. Following the sale, the vice president owned 39,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,201,408. This trade represents a 46.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Masco Price Performance

NYSE:MAS opened at $84.48 on Friday. Masco Corporation has a one year low of $58.16 and a one year high of $87.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.83. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $73.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $71.54. The stock has a market cap of $16.29 billion, a PE ratio of 18.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.21.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The construction company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.17. Masco had a negative return on equity of 1,807.69% and a net margin of 12.07%. The company had revenue of $1.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.97 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Masco Corporation will post 4.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 6th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is 27.71%.

About Masco

Masco Corporation is a manufacturer of home improvement and building products, serving residential construction, repair and remodeling markets. Its products are sold primarily in North America and Europe, as well as in other markets around the world. The company’s Plumbing Products include faucets, showering and bathing products, and related fixtures and accessories. Its brands include Delta Faucet, Brizo, Peerless and hansgrohe. Masco also makes decorative architectural products, including paints and coatings sold under the BEHR and KILZ brands.